CharacteristicsFor those who were born in the month of August the Peridot is the traditional birthstone. The Peridot is associated with love, truth, faithfulness and loyalty. The traditional metaphysical properties for the August birthstone Peridot are fame, dignity, and protection. The healing properties of the August birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to the lungs, lymph, breast and sinuses. The Peridot is also used to enhance prosperity, growth, and openness.

Physical PropertiesThe peridot (pronounced pear-a-doe) is a pale green variety of chrysolite and used as a gemstone. The crystal structure of the Peridot (magnesium iron silicate) is orthorhombic. The Peridot is one of the few gemstones that come in only one colour. The depth of green depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure. It is also often referred to as "poor man's emerald". Peridot is mined mainly in Arizona; other sources are Burma, China, Myanmar, and Pakistan.

HistoryThe symbolic meaning of the colour green was renewal of life and nature. As peridot is a gemstone that forms deep inside the Earth and brought to the surface by volcanoes, in Hawaii, peridot symbolizes the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes.

Peridot has always been associated with light. In fact, the Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Some believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their left arms to ward off evil spirits.

Early records indicate that the ancient Egyptians mined a beautiful green gem on an island in the Red Sea called Topazios, now known as St. John’s Island or Zabargad. Legend has it that the island was infested with snakes, making mining unpleasant until an enterprising pharaoh drove them into the sea. From the earliest times, people confused this stone—now known to be peridot—with other gems. It was one of many labelled as “topaz.”

Some historians believe that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection might actually have been peridot. People in medieval times continued to confuse peridot with emerald. For centuries, people believed the fabulous 200-ct. gems adorning the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral were emeralds. They are, in fact, peridots.